Just when I thought the political season was over when Obama won that first Tuesday of November, the yard signs are back out to promote the next political event happening on December 24th … yes it is the Christmas Eve service.
This is one of the main days a church marketing department drools, and comes up with ways to gain membership within the walls of their organization.
It just weirds me out when I drive through my neighborhood and see yards signs promoting Christmas Eve services for various brick and mortar churches. Here go to my church… no no go to my church. Hey, vote for Romney, no no vote for Obama. The people putting these signs in their yard are no different than them putting out Romney or Obama signs.
This is where the difference between politics and religion starts to blur. I remember growing up and my parents would always say do not argue religion or politics. Well, the “or” in that statement is now gone. It is now… do not argue religion “and” politics. Today both denominations and politics are a lot in the same.
Come to our church where we do this and that and these are the rules we follow (or this is the political platform we promote).
Why the yard signs?
Does anyone go to a church because someone puts out a yard sign? Does someone vote for a particular candidate because of a yard sign?
I really do not think so. I feel it is more like a non verbal statement to tell others in the neighborhood or drivers-by that if you would like to hang with me and we that you will have a good chance of getting along with me because we will both follow the same rules and agenda, you are welcome here… otherwise piss off.
Sad, but true.
I know that politics has become a sort of religion over the past decades (and vice-versa). In the same way people get sucked into a political party, they can get attached and sucked into a religious denomination too. And once you are hooked and a part of a political party or a certain denomination, you are likely to become an automaton that thinks your political party or denomination is the only right way to go, and you do not want to hear what horrible things those certain platforms have done in the past. The fists come out and you become defensive. You become an ambassador for the political party, or a promoter of a certain church organization… and push Jesus to the side. Yes, He is mentioned, but He is not the one being promoted.
You do not want to go and say the people who now run the political platform, or the local church, might be morally questionable, or hypocritical, or really just dead wrong. Instead, you want to find a sense of community with a bunch of like-minded people… you want to feel good.
You all just hang around, or fellowship, telling each other how wonderful you are, and everyone tries to defeat all the enemies outside the bubble you commiserate in.. you know “those” people, the ones for some strange reason that want to continue to dispute and question the truth that you have obtained inside your party or denomination.
Any church yard signs in your neighborhood, or do I just live in a weird place?
To me yard signs are so political. What would churches do next to look more political? I do not know, maybe they will eat more chicken?
Happy Holidays!
Allergic to BS 